Daily Current Affairs UPSC 10 & 11 March 2024

Sabroom Land Port (SLP) Inauguration

• In Tripura, close to the international border between Bangladesh and India, the PM opened Sabroom Landport.
• Connectivity to Chittagong Port:
  • Connected to Chittagong port of Bangladesh through Maitree Bridge on River Feni
  • Facilitates movement of passengers and cargo between India and Bangladesh
• Land Ports Definition:
  • Areas on international border with facilities for clearance and transport of passengers and goods
  • Include portions of national highways, State highways, etc., notified as land customs station or immigration check post
• Current Land Ports in India: 11 Land Ports operational in India (excluding SLP)

Gorsam Kora Festival Overview

• Gorsam Kora festival recently concluded in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh
• An annual festival held at Gorsam Chorten, a 93 feet tall Stupa built in 13th Century CE by Lama Pradhar
• Theme for 2024 was 'Zero Waste Festival'
• Organized by local community of Zemithang in collaboration with civil authorities
  • Zemithang Valley holds historical significance as 14th Dalai Lama found refuge there in 1959
• Devotees, including Bhutanese nationals, visit during the festival to observe virtuous occasion on the last day of the first month of the Lunar calendar.

Golden langur

• The most recent survey estimates that 7,396 Golden Langurs live in India.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule-I
• Characteristics:
  • Belong to a group of Old World monkeys called colobines
  • Coat color changes seasonally
  • Diurnal and arboreal, living in troops (3 – 15
• Habitat:
  • Endemic to subtropical and temperate broadleaf forests in Assam and Bhutan

Sea Defenders-2024

• 'Sea Defenders-2024' is a maritime security exercise between the Indian Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard
• Recently concluded at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty

• Blue Leaders High-Level Event on BBNJ urges nations to ratify BBNJ Treaty
  • Treaty will come into force after ratification by at least 60 countries, but only two out of 88 signatories have ratified it so far
  • India has not yet signed the treaty
• BBNJ or High Seas Treaty was adopted in 2023
  • It is an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (High Seas)
  • It sets up a procedure to establish large-scale marine protected areas in high seas, sharing benefits from marine genetic resources, and transfer of marine technology

Parthenogenesis

• Scientists have genetically modified a fruit fly to reproduce asexually through Parthenogenesis
• Parthenogenesis (PG) is an asexual reproduction in which a female can produce an embryo without fertilizing an egg with sperm
• Two forms of Natural PG:
  • Automixis: observed mostly in sharks, slightly shuffles mother’s DNA to produce children who are close to but not identical clones of mother
  • Apomixis: a type of genetic copy-and-paste where offspring generated are genetically identical clones of their parents. Plants are more prone to this type of parthenogenesis.

Sela Tunnel:

• Prime Minister inaugurated the strategically important Sela tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The tunnel connects Tezpur (Assam) to Tawang in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) for stability.
  • NATM is a support technique that combines sprayed concrete and additional support to sustain the perimeter of the tunnel. Regular monitoring is used to maintain tunnel stability.
• It is the world's longest bi-lane tunnel at approximately 1.5 kms and provides all-weather connectivity at an altitude above 13,000 ft.

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router:

• Fastest and indigenously developed router in India
  • Developed by Nivetti Systems in collaboration with Department of Telecom and CDOT
  • Capacity of 2.4 terabits per second
  • Runs on India's first indigenous network operating system, Nivetti NiOS
• MPLS is a telecommunications routing technique that uses labels instead of network addresses.
• It speeds up network connections by sending packets along predetermined network paths.

Lachit Borphukan (1622 - 1672)

• The Prime Minister presented a 125-foot-tall statue of Lachit Borphukan, a renowned general in the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam.
• About Lachit Borphukan:
  • Born in Charaideo district of Assam
  • United and brought together the tribal forces of Assam
  • Defeated Mughal Army in Battle of Saraighat (1671).

• Recognition:
  • National Defence Academy (NDA) gives Lachit Barphukan Gold Medal to best cadet since 1999
  • Lachit Divas (Lachit Day) celebrated in Assam every year on November 24
  • Prime Minister released the book 'Lachit Borphukan - Assam's Hero who Halted the Mughals' in 2022
• Values:
  • Patriotism
  • Inspirational Leadership
  • Courage and fearlessness.

Sweden joins NATO as 32nd member

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted Sweden and Finland to seek NATO membership
  • Finland became the 31st NATO member in 2023, followed by Sweden, making the entire Nordic region part of NATO
• Significance of NATO expansion includes enhanced defense capabilities, strategic influence in the Baltic Sea, and a strong defense industry
• NATO is a political and military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949
  • NATO headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium.
  • The initial goals were to prevent Soviet expansionism, prevent the resurgence of nationalist militarism in Europe, and promote democratic unity throughout Europe.

• NATO Policies and Membership:
  • Article 5: Collective Defense
  • States that an attack on one member is an attack on all
  • Establishes system of collective defens
  • Article 10: Membership Criteria
  • Open to European states that uphold Treaty principles
  • Must contribute to security of North Atlantic area
• Founding Members:
  • Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK, USA
• Membership Expansion
  • Since 1949, membership has grown from 12 to 32 countries
  • Thanks to ten rounds of expansion, NATO's membership has grown from 12 to 32 nations since 1949.
  • Georgia, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are nations hoping to join NATO.

Indian Official delegation held talks with Afghan Authorities

• A delegation visiting Afghanistan talked about India's humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and the Afghan traders' usage of the Chabahar port in Iran.
• India-Afghanistan Relations Post-Taliban Takeover:
  • Technical Mission in Kabul: Established in June 2022 to coordinate India's humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.
  • Education: India continues to offer scholarships to Afghan students through the ICCR scheme.
  • Trade & Commerce: Trade between India and Afghanistan remains uninterrupted, with Afghan traders utilizing the Chabahar port in Iran.
• Challenges in the Relationship
  • Ideological Differences: The extremist ideology of the Taliban clashes with India's democratic and secular values, creating recognition issues for India.
  • Humanitarian Concerns: Concerns about women's rights, education, and healthcare in Afghanistan persist.
  • Limited Engagement: Recent closures of the Afghan Embassy in Delhi and visa denials for Afghan students have strained relations.
  • Regional Geopolitics: Pakistan's strategic interests in Afghanistan pose challenges for India.
• The Way Forward:
  • Diplomatic Pragmatism: India should engage with the Taliban both bilaterally and through regional groupings to protect its interests.
  • People-to-People Contact: India should continue hosting Afghan students and leverage its goodwill among the Afghan people.

Significance of Peace and Stability in Afghanistan for India:

• Regional connectivity: Afghanistan serves as a crucial gateway to the Central Asian Region, allowing for increased trade and economic opportunities for India.
• Energy and resources: Stability in Afghanistan is important for the successful implementation of projects like the TAPI pipeline, which could provide India with access to energy resources.
• Security: A stable Afghanistan is necessary to counter Pakistan-based terrorist groups that pose a threat to India's security.

IRDAI Regulations 2024: Protecting Policyholders' Interests

• IRDAI created new regulations under the Insurance Act, 1938 and IRDA Act, 1999.
• Key highlights of regulation:
  • The regulations combine 8 separate rules into one comprehensive framework.
  • The main goal is to protect policyholders' interests and ensure insurers and distribution channels meet their obligations.
• Key measures for protection of interest of policyholders:
  • Free-look period extended to 30 days from receipt of policy document
  • Compulsory gathering of nominee information for life insurance policies
  • Policies offered in electronic format with data privacy measures
  • Insurers required to prevent mis-selling and unfair business practices
  • Grievance registration and resolution system in place in every insurer office
• Challenges to insurance sector from policyholders’ perspective:
  • Low insurance penetration and density
  • Delays in claim settlement processing
  • High premiums with 18% GST
  • Mis-selling of products due to lack of awareness and knowledge of coverage.

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):

• IRDAI is a statutory body established under the IRDA Act, 1999
• Its main purpose is to supervise and develop the insurance sector in India
• Key objectives include protecting policyholders' interests, promoting orderly growth of the industry, and ensuring speedy settlement of claims
• IRDAI has introduced initiatives like Bima Sugam, Bima Vahak, and Bima Vistaar to achieve its goal of 'Insurance for All' by 2047.

India and EFTA sign TEPA for enhanced trade relations

• Agreement consists of 14 chapters focusing on market access for goods, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, investment promotion, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
• Investment Promotion:
  • EFTA committed to promoting investments in India, aiming to increase foreign direct investments by USD 100 billion in the next 15 years.
  • Legal commitment made for the first time in FTAs to promote target-oriented investment and job creation.
  • EFTA's market access offer includes coverage of 100% of non-agricultural products and tariff concessions on Processed Agricultural Products (PAP).
  • Commitments related to IPR in TEPA are at TRIPS level
  • Services offered from EFTA include better access through digital delivery of Services, commercial presence, and improved commitments and certainty for entry and temporary stay of key personnel
  • Provisions for Mutual Recognition Agreements in Professional Services like nursing, chartered accountants, architects etc.
• Significance of TEPA
  • Foster transparency, efficiency, simplification, harmonization, and consistency of trade procedures
  • Empower Indian exporters’ access to specialized inputs and create conducive trade and investment environment
  • Give impetus to “Make in India” and Atmanirbhar Bharat in sectors such as Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals, etc.

European Free Trade Association (EFTA):

• EFTA is an intergovernmental organization that aims to promote and intensify free trade.
• Current members of EFTA include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• These countries are not part of the European Union.
• EFTA was founded by the Stockholm Convention in 1960 with seven founding members, including Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Rajya Sabha’s role part of Basic Structure of Constitution: Supreme Court (SC)

• Sita Soren vs. UoI Case: SC ruled that RS elections fall under Article 194(2)
  • Article 194(2): Deals with Powers, Privileges, etc., of members of State Legislature
  • Basic Structure doctrine: Certain fundamental features of Constitution cannot be amended by Parliament
• Rajya Sabha: Upper House of Parliament representing state interests under Article 79 and 80.
• Significance of Rajya Sabha (RS)
  • Check on hasty and ill-conceived legislation: RS provides an opportunity for scrutiny of legislative business before it becomes law.
  • Federal bicameralism: RS acts as a conduit for States, furthering the principle of democratic decentralization and cooperative federalism.
  • Special powers: RS allows for legislation by Parliament on State subjects listed under Schedule VII (Article 249), creation of new All India Services (Article 312), etc.
• Issues with Rajya Sabha (RS):
  • Representation: Removal of State domicile criteria in 2003 for election to RS adversely affects representation of States.
  • Legislative: Bypassing of RS (e.g., Aadhaar Act passed as Money Bill), etc.
  • Accountability of Union Executive: Instruments such as ‘No-Confidence motion’, ‘Adjournment motion’, etc., are not available with RS.

Recommendations related to Rajya Sabha (RS) [Punchhi Commission (2010)]:

• Equal representation of States in RS, irrespective of population size.
• Parliament should restore territorial link between RS members and the State that they represent.

S.R. Bommai judgement (1994) by nine judge bench of Supreme Court (SC) completes 30 years

• Laid down scope of Article 356 of the Constitution and defined restrictions on its use
  • Proclamation for President's Rule must be approved by both houses of Parliament within two months
  • Approval required every six months for continuance
• Background of the case:
  • Karnataka Governor recommended President's Rule after withdrawal of support by 19 MLAs
  • SC reviewed similar cases in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh
• Key Highlights of the judgement:
  • President's power to dismiss a state government is not absolute and can be reviewed by the judiciary for various reasons.
  • Overruled the State of Rajasthan Vs Union of India (1977) judgement.
  • President can dissolve the state legislative assembly only after approval of proclamation by Parliament.
  • State Legislative Assembly can be suspended until parliamentary approval is obtained.
  • Suspended government will be automatically reinstated if approval is not obtained within 2 months.

Significance of the Judgement:

• Checks the power of the Governor in a state.
• Upholds Federalism by setting boundaries for centre-state relationships.
• Assembly floor is the testing ground for the majority of a government.